Res 0977-2019

By Council Members Holden, Kallos, Vallone, Ayala, Deutsch and Rivera Whereas, There currently is no federal law banning animal abuse; and Whereas, According to the New York Times, although all 50 states have animal cruelty laws, a federal law is necessary because it would streamline situations when animals that are abused are transported over state lines; and Whereas, A federal law would also allow the federal government to intervene in the event a state doesn't have the resources to pursue an animal abuse case; and Whereas, H.R. 724, sponsored by Representative Theodore E. Deutch, and S. 479, sponsored by Senator Pat Toomey, known as the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT Act), would revise and expand criminal provisions with respect to animal crushing; and Whereas, "Animal crushing" is defined in the bill as actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury; and Whereas, The PACT Act makes the act of animal crushing illegal if the action is deliberate; and Whereas, According to the Humane Society, while federal law currently prohibits animal fighting and the creation and trade of video depictions of animals being crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or subjected to other forms of egregious cruelty, the underlying abusive act itself is not banned; and Whereas, A violation of the PACT Act would result in a fine or imprisonment for up to seven years; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign, H.R. 724 and S. 479, the Preventing Animal Cruelty Torture Act, otherwise known as the PACT Act. EB LS 9933 05/31/2019